Prey
by ShadowRebirth37
Summary: AU. Episode 1. What would’ve happened if the Gorgonopsid hadn’t ignored Stephen after knocking him unconscious? But instead continued its attack? Now, with Stephen hurt and dragged away by the beast, can Cutter find him before its too late? Please R & R!
1. One False Move

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! This is my very first _Primeval_ fic, though I have over 15 fics in other sections such as _Zoids_, _Kingdom Hearts_ and _Ecco the Dolphin_, so I am in no way a noob, I know what I'm doing. ^-^ Now, I am an American and live in the United States, so that means I don't know a lot about British sayings and such other than 'bloody'. ^^; Sorry if some of the little sayings in here are American instead of British, but I can't type what I don't know, ya know? XP Anyway, I hope you enjoy my fic!! I'm sorry to say updates will be kinda spotty, but my _Zoids_ fics require constant attention. XP

Again, I've seen a few episodes of _Primeval_ here in the States, but I'm still a little new to the series. I've seen the finale of season 2 and bits and pieces of most episodes, but my names are a little spotty at best. I know the main group and such, but other minor characters are a little tough for me.

Please go easy on me guys, I'm trying my best, but with only one episode airing a week and only 3 on the on demand channel, I don't have a lot of opportunities to refresh my memory! I'll try my hardest to keep it as true to the show as possible, but there will be dialogue errors in this 1st chappie because I only got to watch the episode once. Anyway, please enjoy chapter 1- One False Move!!

**Disclaimer**- Nope, I don't own Primeval, I only own this fic, this storyline, and all that jazz. XP

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The front door of the elementary school was busted in; deep slashes in the metal from what appeared to be claws. Stephen had a bad feeling that the Gorgonopsid that they had seen earlier had tracked the young boy who had found Rex, Ben, and was hunting him. He had good reason to be worried, for the Gorgonopsid was the top predator of its time. It was faster, stronger, smarter, stealthier, and better armed than any other predator at the time, making it a real threat now.

He had seen pictures of the creature, and it was one of the most formidable and strange beasts he had ever heard of. It looked, for all the world, like a cross between a Bengal tiger, an Australian saltwater crocodile, a lion and a hippo, displaying the best and most deadly traits of each. Its mouth was bigger than a hippo's, filled with massive predatory fangs and able to snap shut with force comparable to a crocs, its faintly feline body was sturdy and powerfully muscled, giving it great strength, speed and stamina, and its huge paws could easily encompass a basketball, and its claws were nothing to laugh at either, as he had seen, they could carve clean through plate steel. Its body looked like a cat without fur, and even had canine attributes such as the short tail, long muzzle, and large nose. Some even speculated that the beast was endothermic, a primitive warm-blooded mammal, despite its smooth, seemingly scaled skin. It definitely explained how it had managed to survive in the cold, wet forest without much ill effect, but he knew it couldn't be fully warm-blooded; there wasn't enough prey in its desert environment millions of years ago to support such a needy metabolism. Pushing those thoughts away, he started towards the smashed doors, worried that the prehistoric creature could potentially injure or kill someone, or start a panic.

He heard a sudden, deep resonate roar, coming from somewhere in the school, and he knew instantly that it was the Gorgonopsid. Stephen ran into the school, hurrying down the narrow hallway, knowing the Gorgonopsid was somewhere inside. He thanked God school had ended for the day, but he knew that there were probably a few kids and teachers inside. He hurried up the stairs, hearing the scuffing of what sounded like paws on the smooth floor.

Suddenly, he heard screams, followed by a deafening roar. He broke into a run, hoping to reach the beast before it killed an innocent child. He rounded a turn and saw a shadow bolting down another hall, and he knew it had to be the Gorgonopsid. Stephen chased after it, turning the corner, and saw the large beast ramming at a door, panicked screams coming from the other side. He knew he had to do something, and before he realized what he was doing, he reached over and grabbed a textbook from a shelf.

"Hey!! Pick on someone your own size!!" Stephen shouted, throwing the heavy book at the Gorgonopsid, which bounced harmlessly of its strongly muscled body. The huge cat-like creature turned its massive head, its burning yellow eye focusing on him, seeming to glow with hunger and malice. _'Great! Way to go Stephen, you've just got the attention of a super predator and you don't even have a bloody weapon!'_ he thought, gritting his teeth slightly as the beast began to turn towards him.

The Gorgonopsid stared at him and roared, its huge, powerful jaws opening nearly four feet, more than enough to swallow him whole. Its thick teeth were the largest he had ever seen on a living creature, making a lion's fangs look like a kitten's tooth. It snapped its jaws shut with more than enough power to snap him in half, making a loud clap that echoed off the close walls. Its gleaming gold eyes were zeroed in on him, the black slits like those of a demon. It crouched low, taking a step forward, its massive paw splaying under its immense weight, the large claws twitching in anticipation. The molted tan of its hide would give it perfect desert camouflage, but it worked just fine against the wooden door of the classroom that it had been just moments ago trying to ram through. This beast was probably the most amazing and terrifying animal he had ever seen in his life, he could admire it for hours, but right now it was admiring him, as potential prey.

It roared again and took another step, narrowing its blazing eyes, preparing to pounce. Stephen realized his peril and ran back the way he came, leading it away from whoever was trapped in the classroom. He heard the Gorgonopsid snarl and give chase, bounding after him at astonishing speed for its size.

Stephen realized he wasn't going to be able to outrun the hungry beast, and tried to think up a plan. He ran past a trophy case, and an idea popped into his mind. He skidded to a stop and wheeled around, grabbing the shelf and pushing as hard as he could. The heavy wooden shelf fell across the narrow hall, creating a partial block, but it wouldn't be enough. He knocked over every single one of the shelves he could find in the section of hallway, trying to get as many obstacles between he and the pursuing Gorgonopsid as he possibly could.

Just as he pushed over the last of the shelves, the Gorgonopsid reached the first case. The creature skidded to a stop, looking at the fallen shelves, as if contemplating a plan. Stephen stood from what he believed was a safe distance away, behind the last obstacle, watching the pre-Mesozoic beast growl and snort in annoyance.

A look of horror crossed his face when it started to climb over the shelf, its eyes focused on him again. Not waiting to have the beast breathing down his neck, he turned and made a break for the staircase, praying the creature wouldn't try and follow him down the steep stairs. He heard the loud crashing and smashing as the Gorgonopsid tore his way through the wooden shelves, crushing them as easily as if they were made of cardboard. It roared and charged after him, beginning to close the gap between them.

Stephen jumped down the first flight of stairs, flying down the landing as fast as his legs would carry him. The loud pounding of the beast's feet behind him made him run even faster, bolting down the last grouping of stairs to the ground floor. He saw a shadow flash into his field of view and froze, and a second later a heavy filing cabinet crashed to the floor a mere foot in front of him, crushed like pop can.

The Gorgonopsid roared and began running down the stairs after him, and Stephen bolted around the smashed metal cabinet, trying to get away before it got too close. Hiding in one of the rooms that lined the hallway crossed his mind, and he considered it. _'No, it's too close, and it must have an amazing sense of smell with that massive nose, it'd sniff me out for sure…'_ he thought, shaking his head to dismiss the thought as he rounded a corner towards, what he hoped, was the main exit.

He skid to a halt, stopped dead in his tracks, for the doors weren't open. He prayed to God that they weren't locked as he ran at them, gripping the opening bar and pushing as hard as he could. To his horror, the door didn't budge- he was trapped, cornered, his back to the wall, with a hungry Gorgonopsid hot on his trail. As if sensing his fear, the trailing beast slowed, its thundering footfalls slowing and quieting, and Stephen hoped maybe he had confused it by making that sharp left.

The soft clicking of the Gorgonopsid's claws on the linoleum floor made him turn slowly, the creature seeming to look for him. Stephen heard the beast stop, listening to its loud breathing as it sniffed the air, closing in on him. He listened to its quiet, padded feet as it drew closer to the hall he was backed into, and stared in horror as its muzzle appeared from around the right corner. The beast's nostrils flared as it sniffed, its snout slowly turning into his hiding place, no doubt smelling him. In a last desperate attempt to escape, he spun around and rammed the door, but all he succeeded in doing was winding himself and alerting the Gorgonopsid to his presence. He put his hands on the opening bar and pushed as hard as he could, putting all his weight into it, but the door didn't move an inch.

Suddenly, a loud roar shook the very air, making him freeze. Stephen slowly turned around, and faced the massive beast that now had him cornered. The Gorgonopsid roared and stalked closer, pushing him back against the locked blue doors. The canine-like creature growled deeply, its long saber-like teeth bared in a feral snarl. It roared loudly, opening its jaws nearly as wide as he was tall. It was so close, Stephen could see the saliva dripping from its teeth; see right back into its hungry throat.

Starting to panic, he looked frantically for a weapon, anything to defend himself and keep those ravenous jaws from reaching him. He saw a pair of fire extinguishers on the wall, and he grabbed for one, yanking it from its fastenings. He pulled the safety pin and aimed it at the snarling creature, waiting for it to get closer. The Gorgonopsid roared and charged, jaws bared and claws aimed for him, and Stephen activated the extinguisher.

The blast of CO2 hit the creature right in its mouth, stopping it dead in its tracks. The Gorgonopsid roared in shock and jumped backwards, obviously distressed by the cold. It shook its head and snarled in annoyance, swatting at the white fog with its massive paw, as if to drive it away. Stephen took a step closer, keeping as much of the gas blowing on the creature as he could, trying to force it back. He dared to get closer, edging nearer, getting within four feet of its snapping jaws.

Suddenly, the extinguisher ran dry, the white fog dissipating, and Stephen's heart stopped. The beast stopped thrashing, staring at him with its glowing golden eyes, seeing he was now defenseless. Stephen stared wide-eyed at the hulking, powerful beast, frozen in total shock and fear, not knowing what to do. The Gorgonopsid narrowed its eyes, and a twisted smirk seemed to cross its muzzle as it took a step closer, thick claws clicking against the floor.

Before he could even blink the beast struck, ramming him through the locked doors and out onto the school grounds with an earth-shaking roar. Stephen was thrown hard to the ground, landing on his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. His vision blurred and everything seemed to slow down, disoriented from the force of the blow. It seemed as though time had stopped, the only thing that he was aware of being the cool grass tickling his face.

In his dazed state, he was unable to hear or react to the heavy footfalls of the Gorgonopsid as the massive beast slowly stalked over to him, seeing him collapsed on the grass. The creature leaned down, sniffing him, nosing him with its huge jaws, as if searching for any signs of life. Without thinking, Stephen moved his hand and groaned, unknowingly showing weakness. He knew he was close to unconsciousness, not even aware of the feeling of the Gorgonopsid's massive paw pushing on his shoulder, the large claws pressing into his skin.

Unaware of the beast hovering over him, Stephen tried to push himself up, moving his leg as he started to get back up. The Gorgonopsid growled deeply, removing its paw from his shoulder and looking down at his leg, sniffing it. Stephen didn't realize its jaws were a mere inch from his vulnerable leg, and he moved it again, still dazed from the impact. The Gorgonopsid snorted and gripped his leg with its massive paw, its large claws sinking into his leg as it pulled him closer, within range of its jaws. Stephen winced as he felt the beast's claws sink into the flesh of his leg, but he was so disoriented from the attack to notice the burning pain or the warm blood dripping down his leg from the wounds.

The Gorgonopsid released his leg, licking some of the crimson blood from its claws, before focusing on him again. It leaned down further, its jaws within inches of his head. Stephen opened his eyes slightly, feeling the hot breath of the creature ruffling his hair as it sniffed him, looking up at the beast, his vision blurry. The Gorgonopsid's powerful jaws opened and closed, a deep growl rumbling from its throat as it lifted its head away for a brief moment. Stephen groaned and closed his eyes, feeling himself losing consciousness.

Just seconds before he lost consciousness, he felt the beast's powerful jaws close around and lift him into the air, the Gorgonopsid dragging him away towards the forest…

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**AN**- I'm such a meany, aren't I? XD I hope you liked it!! Wow… you know, in 15 fics, I've never swore before, another first for me!! XD I'm sorry if it was a little on the short side (well, in my standards it was short; my other fics' chapters usually reach 3 or 4000 words), but I'm very busy with school and my _Zoids_ fics. My _Zoids_ fics are much better quality and plot-wise, but I doubt any of you know what _Zoids_ is. ^^; Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my very first (and most likely not the only) _Primeval_ fic!! Please review and let me know what you thought- what you liked, disliked, loved, hated, or if you saw any errors or have any ideas or suggestions!! I am open to idea; half of my fics have had their storylines altered by a great reader suggestion, so feel free to voice your ideas to me!! Anyway, I will try to get the next chappie up soon!! Thanks for reading and please review!!

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


	2. Dinosaur Hunting

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yup, time for chapter 2!! I can't believe I actually did that to poor poor Stephen. You know, he seems to get the worst of everything in the show- he gets knocked unconscious by the Gorgonopsid, bitten by the centipede, and dragged under by that scorpion, just to name a few. Well, expect things to get a little AU from here on end, because things will happen that will not tie in to the rest of the _Primeval_ episodes. Sorry, but remember, since Stephen's out of action, he won't be able to hit the Gorgonopsid with the SUV later on and such. ^^; Anyway, this chapter will focus on Cutter and Conner and will be on the short side, but I'm very busy with my _Zoids_ fics. Anyway, enjoy chapter 2- Dinosaur Hunting!! (yes, I realize Gorgonopsids aren't classified as dinosaurs, but I think it sounds better than 'mammal-like reptile hunting', alright?! XP)

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Nick Cutter stood on the trampled grass of the schoolyard, staring at the crumpled doors and crushed fire extinguisher in shock, young Ben standing next to him. He knew what had happened to his friend the instant he arrived, there was no denying it- the Gorgonopsid had gotten him.

Cutter walked over to one particular flattened spot of grass, which looked as if someone had laid down on it. He crouched down, looking at the scene of the struggle more closely. A few small droplets of crimson blood flecked the green glass, like a scattering of rubies on the emerald blades. He reached out and touched one of the ruby drops, the blood cold and sticky, but not dry.

"Mr. Cutter, is he alright? Did that… that _thing_ get him?" Ben asked, looking over into the trees nervously. Cutter sighed loudly, looking at the blood that stained the tip of his finger, thinking. There were tracks leading away from the scene of the attack, but they didn't belong to Stephen, they belonged to the Gorgonopsid.

"I'm afraid so, Ben, I think the Gorgonopsid did get him…" Nick answered, sighing again as he stood up. "The blood is still fresh, he couldn't have been attacked more than ten, twenty minutes ago…"

"Does that mean he might still be alive?!" Ben asked, a hopeful tone to his voice. Cutter looked down at him, his eyes grim and saddened. He shook his head, looking back out into the trees.

"I doubt he could have survived, that creature was more than capable of tearing him to shreds in moments, but the signs are good, so there's no knowing until we see for ourselves…" he sighed, staring into the rain-soaked misty forest.

"I hope he's alright, that dinosaur was huge, but I think he'll make it…" Ben said hopefully, turning as he heard a car pull up to the curb. Cutter turned as well, and recognized the driver.

"Best not keep your mother waiting, Ben…" Cutter said, looking down at the young boy, "… and maybe you shouldn't tell her about Stephen, I'm sure her nerves are frayed enough from the other night…" he added, and Ben looked up at him, nodding.

"I won't tell her, and good luck getting him back!" Ben shouted, running towards his mother's car, leaving Cutter alone. He watched the car drive away, and turned back to the few clues he had. There were a few bloody paw prints, but they vanished a few yards into the taller grass, leaving no other trace. It wasn't going to be easy to track the beast down, but he knew he had to if Stephen stood a chance, if he was even alive.

Cutter swung his bag from his shoulder, unzipping it and rummaging through it. He pulled out a 9ml pistol, checking the chamber and magazine. He had a full clip and a bullet in the chamber, not enough to take the Gorgonopsid down, but maybe just enough to frighten it away.

Just as he started to head towards the forest in search of the beast, he heard another car pull up, the engine shutting off as someone jumped out, shutting the door rather forcefully. He turned, and sure enough, Conner was racing towards him.

"Cutter!! What are you doing here?! We need to get ba- oh God, what happened?!" he cut off, seeing the crashed doors and trampled grass. He sprinted next to him, looking down at where the attack had taken place. He grew very pale when he spied the small splatters of blood that covered some of the grass, gulping, as if forcing himself from getting sick.

"It got him…" Cutter said, looking down at the ground, "… the Gorgonopsid, it got Stephen…"

"What?! It got him?!" Connor gasped, the remaining color draining from his face. Cutter nodded slowly, looking up at the barely visible trail the beast had left.

"Conner, we have to go after it…" Cutter stated flatly, not looking over at his student, though he sensed that he flinched.

"Go… go after… after it? Are you mad?!" Conner stuttered, obviously terrified, "But we don't even know if Stephen's alive!"

"He's most likely alive, Conner…" he replied, looking over at Conner, kneeling down to the scene of the struggle, "… if you had showed up to any of my seminars, you'd see that the Gorgonopsid didn't kill him. You see, the blood here came from a minor injury; if the Gorgonopsid had dealt a fatal wound, there would be blood everywhere and so would torn bits of fabric, not just the little splattering here. It couldn't have crushed him, for there would have been a more prominent depression from the creature's weight. Hopefully, the Gorgonopsid doesn't behave like a large cat…"

"Cutter, Ben said it _did_ have some cat-like qualities. He said he and Abby found a cow hauled up into the high branches of a tree in the forest, like a leopard." Conner reminded him, "But why is that a bad thing?"

"Conner, big cats are some of the most efficient and stealthy killers in the natural world." Cutter answered, "When most people visualize a big cat attack, they think of a scene out of a horror film, with blood and gore everywhere. In reality, cats rarely leave any sign of their presence or their kill. A cat the size of a Gorgonopsid could kill a smaller human simply by shaking it hard enough, breaking the neck, effectively leaving no trace of the attack. I think Stephen may have been too large for the Gorgonopsid to do that, but I don't know. The Gorgonopsid could have killed Stephen right here and left no trace behind, or Stephen could still be alive, I just don't know for sure."

"I guess that means we're going dinosaur hunting?" Conner sighed, looking at the bloody paw prints that led into the poorly lit woods.

"Yes…" Cutter said, "… you better get a weapon of some sort, I'm going to go find Stephen." He stated, slinging his pack back over his shoulders and starting towards the forest, following the Gorgonopsid's trail. He heard Conner start to say something, but he stopped and ran after him.

"Cutter, wait! Shouldn't we call the police or someone?" he shouted, catching up with him. Cutter stopped and turned around, looking at him as if he was stupid.

"Conner, what do you expect the police to do if I call them saying my friend was attacked and dragged away into the forest by a beast from the Permian period that somehow made its way to the present through some sort of time portal along with a flying lizard and a scaled cow?" Cutter said sarcastically, turning and continuing into the forest. Conner stopped for a second, considering it for a moment.

"Hmm… good point…" he muttered, chasing after him again, not wanting to get left behind with a dangerous Gorgonopsid on the loose.

Cutter focused on the ground in front of him as the grass gave way to the soft loamy soil of the forest floor, looking for more tracks. The Gorgonopsid's immense weight and large paws had sunken deep into the rich earth, leaving an easy trail for him to follow. A few small drops of blood speckled some of the leaves of the lower vegetation, the crimson smears showing that the leaves had brushed against something bleeding or blood-covered.

Cutter cocked his pistol, not wanting to get caught unaware, for he sensed that he and Conner were being watched…

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**AN**- I love the little funny part about the police. XD That sounds like something I would say if I was in that situation. XP I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but that may be awhile, because my _Zoids_ fics are demanding my total attention. If any of you have watched or like _Zoids_, I suggest you read my Zoids fics. They are _much_ better than this, and have better storylines and are suspenseful and such. ^^; Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a nice review!! ;D

**_~Ibeyla ^^_**


	3. Misconceptions

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yup, time for chapter 3!! Sorry I haven't updated lately, but I've been insanely busy with my _Zoids_ fan fics _**To Save a Raven**_ and _**Stars**_. _Zoids_ fics are a real time-consumer. -_-; Anyway, this chapter is going to focus on Stephen and the Gorgonopsid; Nick and Conner will appear in the next chapter. But now, we're going to see how Stephen is doing. Btw, I'm sorry if some of my terms aren't correct, but I'm from Ohio and I don't have a clue about British terms or saying. For instance, I didn't know that in Britain elementary schools are called primary schools (thanks to the reviewer who pointed that out!! :P), so please just work with me and not get angry if I make a few little mistakes like that. ^^; Also, this is my first fic were I actually use bad language, but no worries, its not too bad, just like 'bloody hell' and such. Nothing bad. XP Anyway, here is chapter 3- Misconceptions!! (kinda ominous, isn't it? XP)

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The first thing Stephen realized when he regained consciousness was that he was somehow still alive. His leg throbbed in pain from the Gorgonopsid's claws and his ribs hurt from where the beast's teeth had pressed against him, but other than that he couldn't really feel any major wounds. _'Ugh… what the hell happened? I feel like I got hit by a bloody truck…'_ he thought, groaning at a slight pain in his arm. His head was just pounding with the worst headache of his life, and it felt like the world was spinning around him.

With every passing moment, he became more and more aware of his surroundings. He could tell he wasn't lying on flat ground and was most likely in a tree, due to the bark pressed against him and the swirling breeze brushing his face. There were oddly no birds or any noise coming form the surrounding environment other than the breeze rustling the leaves, which made him wonder if the Gorgonopsid was still nearby or not. _'There's only one way to find out…'_ he thought, taking a deep breath. Gathering his little remaining strength, Stephen pushed himself up off the thick branch he was laying on, shaking his head and coughing.

Suddenly, he heard a loud growl mere feet in front of him, making him open his eyes. His vision was blurred and foggy, but he could still see the dust-colored Gorgonopsid in front of him. He blinked a few times, and his vision cleared more. The massive creature was laying on the branch a few feet before him, balanced perfectly like a leopard. It was looking right at him with its golden eyes, but it wasn't tense and ready to pounce. Instead it was relaxed and simply staring at him, as if it was confident enough in itself to not attack.

'_Why is it just laying there? Why isn't it attacking? Why didn't it kill me?'_ dozens of questions flashed through his mind, but he couldn't answer any of them. He still felt dizzy from his headache, and he had to hold on to the branch tightly to keep from falling off. The Gorgonopsid didn't seem at all concerned with him being awake; it just laid there like a lazy hound.

The creature's inaction gave Stephen the chance he'd always wanted to just admire the beast, without the threat of being killed at that moment. He truly thought it was a beautiful and mesmerizing creature; it was a marvel of nature. Even though it was adapted to desert terrain, it was managing the cool wet atmosphere of the Forest of Dean quite well, it was thriving even. He saw that its color had distinct patterns to it; it was a lighter dust color on the top and a richer sandy color further down, and its belly was a tannish cream. He also noticed it had feline whiskers by its nose, though they were much smaller than a true feline's would have been. Also, it looked as if its claws could partially retract, keeping the razored points sheathed to prevent damage.

As he stared at the powerful beast, a slight movement by its chest caught his attention, making him look down. The Gorgonopsid's arm was crossed over the branch, holding a small smoke-colored lump protectively against its chest. Stephen looked at the strange thing more closely, his eyes narrowed in confusion. The small lump made a soft squeak, which made the Gorgonopsid look down and sniff it.

To Stephen's astonishment, the Gorgonopsid made a strange rumbling noise and licked the small lump, lightly pressing its dark-colored nose against it. Its strange rumbling sounded almost like a feline purr, but sounded more deep and threatening than the noise a happy tomcat would make. Another squeak made the Gorgonopsid growl softly, licking the lump and making the loud thrumming noise. The massive beast made a surprisingly soft noise, moving its arm slightly, making the lump squeak again and move, standing up and revealing itself. Stephen's eyes widened as he saw what the lump was, not believing his eyes…

For the lump was a baby Gorgonopsid…

"Bloody hell…" he muttered under his breath, staring at the small Gorgonopsid kit in shock. It looked almost like a kitten, apart from the suspicious lack of ears and long snout. The Gorgonopsid kept making the purring noise, licking the kit like a mother cat, cleaning it with its tongue. The kit mewed and snuggled against its chest, making a similar purring noise, like a kitten. The adult growled softly and lightly nuzzled it, showing all the tenderness of a human mother. _'This is amazing… no one would have ever expected Gorgonopsids to be caring parents… they're more like modern mammals than anyone suspected…'_ he thought, not believing what he was seeing. _'… all this time Gorgonopsids and other Permian creatures were thought of as primitive, savage monsters… but they're more like modern animals than anyone ever dared to think…'_

The Gorgonopsid made another thrumming noise and licked the kit again, the baby yipping and shaking itself unhappily. It squeaked and looked at him, cocking its head and struggling out of the adult's grasp. The adult released it and growled quietly, letting the kit out onto the branch. The kit shook itself and snorted rather unhappily, looking at him with bright golden eyes and plodding over to him. Stephen didn't know what to do as the little creature drew closer, more afraid of angering the adult than getting hurt from the kit.

The kit mewed and stopped a foot away from him, looking up at him oddly. Stephen returned the same strange look, finding the tiny creature as strange as the kit found him. It looked nothing like the massive creature that had attacked him apart from its feline appearance and similar body shape; other than that, it looked like a completely different creature. It was covered in a downy fur that was darker than the adult, with a black back and a white mark between its eyes. Its paws had no claws, or they were fully retracted. Its tail seemed longer than on the adult, but didn't seem flexible like the adult's. Its eyes were a bright gold, and seemed much larger on its small face, almost like the innocent eyes of a curious kitten.

Stephen glanced up from the kit and looked at the adult, making sure it wasn't going to attack. The adult was still lying comfortably on the branch, though now its head was resting on the branch, its eyes closed and body completely relaxed. It appeared to be asleep, its breath deep and calm, and there was even a slight snore to the sound of its breathing. It didn't appear at all concerned that he was conscious and that its kit was curious about him; it seemed confident enough that he wasn't going to hurt its baby.

A quiet mew and a soft touch made him look down, focusing again on the small creature. The kit was sitting on its haunches like a housecat, its head cocked and eyes locked on him, like he was the most interesting thing it had ever seen. Its bright gold eyes were wide and seemed to sparkle, the feline slits of its pupils wider than on the adult, looking more like the iris of a human's eye. Its tiny paw was pressed against his arm, its paw softly padded and the claws safely retracted like a cat.

"Uhh… hello…" Stephen said nervously, not knowing how he should react to the small creature. The kit cocked its head the other way and mewed again, standing up and withdrawing its small paw. It made a sound strikingly similar to a meow and wagging its tail slightly, looking like a strange cross between a puppy and a kitten. Stephen had to stop himself from laughing at the tiny creature as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree and crossed his legs Indian-style to keep balanced; the small Gorgonopsid looked like it was about as threatening as a newborn kitten.

The kit cocked its head again and took a step closer, placing its front paws on his leg and looking up at him, almost as if it was testing his reaction. Stephen didn't move or shoo it away, he was just as curious about the small creature as it was of him. The kit made a soft meow-like noise and crawled into his lap, putting its paws on his chest and looking up at him like a domestic cat.

Stephen was a little concerned with the fact that its jaws were within a foot of his face and throat, but he pushed his worries aside and looked at the tiny cat-like creature curiously. He _very_ cautiously lifted his hand and brought it close to the kit, not knowing how it would react. The kit turned and leaned close to his hand, sniffing it curiously like a puppy. Stephen could feel the short coarse hairs on its snout as it sniffed him, the kit not acting aggressive or dangerous in any way.

The kit made a mewing noise and lightly butted his hand, licking his palm and pressing its face against him. Stephen blinked and looked at it oddly, the small creature acting more like a domestic cat than the Permian predator that it really was. Another meow and lick broke his thoughts, making him blink and focus on the small kit again. He moved his hand slightly and lightly stroked its face, being careful not to hurt the tiny creature and aggravate the adult. The kit's short smoke-colored fur was incredibly soft to the touch, it was almost like down. As he stroked it, the kit closed its eyes and leaned against his hand, making a purring noise.

"I guess you like that…" Stephen said, smirking slightly at the small Gorgonopsid. The kit made a happy meow-like noise, as if in agreement, wagging its short tail happily. He patted the kit's snout and lowered his hand, tired still from the adult attacking him. The kit opened its eyes and looked up at him, making a soft mew. It blinked its eyes and yawned quietly, showing its needle-like teeth and sharp fangs inside its pink mouth. It stood up and shook itself, before it walked in a circle in his lap like a kitten, settling on his leg. It pressed itself against his stomach and sighed lazily, lowering its head and closing its eyes.

'_Okay… this is awkward…'_ he thought, looking down at the kit, _'… one minute I'm the adult's chew toy, and the next its baby is sleeping in my lap… … … this is really messed up…'_ he stated mentally, a slight smirk appearing on his face. All of the events of the day were still sinking in; everything had just happened too fast for him. A little bit ago the adult had been chasing him through a school and used him as a chew toy, and now its kit was letting him pet it, it just didn't seem right to him. But, seeing both the adult and the kit asleep just made him even more tired, and combined with the headache and the fact that he just woke up just made it worse. He yawned and leaned his head back against the trunk of the tree, closing his eyes as he started to fall asleep.

Just as he started to fall asleep, the adult woke up, lifting its head and looking out into the forest, as if it had heard something…

* * *

**AN**- I made a vicious Gorgonopsid into a big pussycat. XP lol. And I made the little kit adorable!! Lol. But, the Gorgonopsid mother's behavior is based upon real animals; I try to be as realistic as possible. Big cats and other felines are some of the best mothers in the animal kingdom, and since Gorgonopsids kinda look like cats and have similar attributes, why can't it be a good mum like a cat? XP lol. Sorry it was so short, but again my _Zoids_ fics eat up most of my time. -_-; Anyway, what did the gorgy hear? Could it be Conner and Nick? Are they in danger?! Well, you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out!! :O How evil am I?! XP lol. Anyway, thank you for reading and leave a nice review please!! :P

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


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